SMWS Caol ila 53.234 Mashtun notes: Talk about an opinion splitter! This one really spit the panel. We are all ‘Peat fiends’ and huge fans of Caol ila, as well as the SMWS, but this caused some ‘debate’. On the nose we got salty brine, peat, cherry pie, medicinal notes, sulphur, and hay bales. The...

Finlaggan Cask Strength 58 Mashtun notes: Finlaggan is a ‘mystery’ Islay dram named after Loch Finlaggan. The largest island on the loch is Eilean na Comhairle (Council Island) and this is where the chief of the clan MacDonald (for the isles) was initiated. It may be a ‘mystery dram’, but by all accounts, this dram...

SMWS North British G1.13 Mashtun notes: We do like a 100% grain whisky from time to time, and were really looking forward to this North British offering from the SMWS. It turns out we were not to be disappointed! The nose has that ‘classic grain’ feel and we got vanilla, bourbon, red cola, sweetie bananas,...

Old Pulteney 15 by Gordon MacPhail Mashtun notes: This independently bottled (Gordon and MacPhail) Old Pulteney was a real sipper. It was another one that spit us, as some thought it lacked complexity and character. That may have been down to the 40% ABV though. We did all agree we could quite happily sip away...

Caol ila 17 Bottled by Murray McDavid Mashtun notes: This one was brought to the tasting as a ‘wildcard’ due to the fact one of the panel got it at auction. It’s an independently bottled (Murray McDavid) Caol ila that was finished in a sweet white wine (Quart-de-Chaume) cask. It does have a wine...